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Aviation Safety, Training, and

Operations Center

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APHIS is a multi-faceted agency with a broad mission area that includes emergency

response, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage

management activities. One way the agency accomplishes its responsibilities is

through the use of aircraft.
Wildlife Services (WS) aerial operations employs a fleet of approximately 35 agency

owned, borrowed, or leased fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, and employs

approximately 30 pilots. Additionally, WS uses approximately 20 Contractor owned

fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, and approximately 20 contract pilots. WS provides

capable, mission-ready aircraft and professional crews trained to conduct the WS

mission wherever and whenever required, in our Eastern and Western Regions,

Hawaii and Guam.

Aviation operations range from the use of small single-engine aircraft to helicopters,

and larger twin-engine aircraft. Some of the aviation missions WS carries out include

bird surveys, mammal surveys, livestock search and rescue, pest control, wildlife

management, aerial application, research and development, and training. The two

core aviation programs consist of wildlife management and delivery of oral rabies

vaccines (ORV).

Aerial Operations Functions

The WS program has an Eastern and Western region, as well as Hawaii and Guam,

and aviation activities occur in both regions. The types of missions flown and the

types of aircraft and equipment utilized vary between the two regions. In the Eastern

Region, aerial mission are primarily flown to distribute ORV in specific locations to

reduce the spread of raccoon and canine rabies, and utilize larger twin-engine

aircraft. This region also uses smaller single-engine aircraft to conduct wildlife

population survey work as well. The Eastern Region currently uses turbine

helicopters for feral swine management but on a limited basis. Historically, aerial

wildlife management activities occur less frequently in the Eastern Region, but are

expected to become more frequent due to increased damage being caused by feral

swine.

In the Western Region, aerial missions are flown almost exclusively to protect

valuable livestock (sheep, cattle, and goats) from predators. These missions use

single-engine Super Cub or Top Cub aircraft flown at low altitude, and at relatively

slow speeds. Turbine helicopters are also used in specific locations for specific

requirements where the use of single-engine aircraft is not practical or appropriate.
Aviation Safety

The WS aviation mission exists in a complex, high-risk environment. Known hazards

must be managed with effective and reasonable mitigation to achieve successful

outcomes. The WS Aviation Safety Program is founded on the philosophy that all

aircraft mishaps are preventable. As such, the aviation organization aggressively

applies the principles of risk management.

The desired end product of all we do as WS employees is the preservation and

protection of our persons, property, and wildlife. As WS employees, it is our

responsibility to report hazards that could cause a mishap. All hazards that could

potentially jeopardize our mission should be reported.

WS Aviation Safety Services provide aviation policy for aviation safety management,

and aircraft mishap prevention oversight to the organization in the direct support of

all WS aviation activities.  The core goal is to ensure the safety of aviation activities

and prevent all WS aviation accidents.  The strategic direction of Aviation Safety

Services is to ensure the stability/continuity and where appropriate, elevate aviation

safety standards, increase efficiency, and promote a risk-managed operation of

aviation activities for internal and external customers.  WS aerial operations

embrace high standards of ethics, integrity, safety, and accountability, and

accomplishes its objectives through oversight and training.  Objectives under this

goal define WS Aerial Operations commitment to address safety challenges and to

ensure exceptionally safe operations.

In order to promote this culture of safety, WS follows the principles of the Four Pillars

of the Safety Management Systems (SMS) approach.  These “four pillars” consist of

Promotion, Risk Management, Assurance and Policy.  SMS can be used as a means of

providing a formal process and structure to control the risk associated with the vast

array of aviation missions.

It is the goal of SMS to create a positive safety culture where participants continually

challenge the processes, the culture and the systems to identify weaknesses and

identify where improvements can be made.

Aerial Operations Training
Most agencies utilize aircraft in support or accomplishment of their programs and

projects. These aircraft users are as many and varied as the types of aircraft used. A

WS aerial operations goal is to provide unmatched training services to personnel.

Increasing employee awareness of agency policy, procedures, and safe practices

must receive the highest priority. Aviation training, whether basic safety training,

specialized training, or advanced training is a method to increase safety awareness

and a key to meeting this goal.

Wildlife damage management techniques are constantly changing in response to

new science, changes in public policy, advances in technology, and safety lessons

learned. WS Aviation Training Services provide aviation policy for aviation training

management and personnel training oversight to the organization in the direct

support of all WS aviation fleet activities as well as within Commercial Aviation

Service operations.  To do so, WS Aerial Operations must provide the training

management oversight and appropriate resources to meet the missions of each

customer in the most efficient manner available.  To ensure employees receive the

best training possible, WS Aerial Operations will focus on strengthening training

services provided.  WS Aerial Operations will continue to train, retrain, and develop a

high-performing workforce.  Furthermore, WS Aerial Operations will examine its

process to determine the optimal mix of classroom, web-based, and practical

training to demonstrate commitment to training. 

Achieving WS Aerial Operations mission and goals relies heavily upon the training

and productivity of its workforce.  WS Aerial Operations training must ensure that it

is creating an environment that is both meeting current and future training needs

and challenges.  WS Aerial Operations vision and planning must enable the

organization to establish creative and flexible training programs linked to meeting

the goals and objectives of WS.  State-of-the-art training is the key to continued

success of WS Aerial Operations.  The WS Aviation Training and Operations Center

(ATOC) is fully committed to continually assess and improve upon WS aviation

training requirements and methods. 

Related Information

View Federal Aviation Administration

View GSA Aviation Management
View WS Vacancies on USA Jobs

View Veteran information at OPM

View WS Publications

Locate a WS State Office